[stevek]

I DID SAY IN THIS INDUSTRY. Corect me if I'm wrong AGAIN! but this forum is for 3D Animation!!! So this industry is not the OS industry, its 3D Software.

I'm not to familiar with Houdini, but I do know that some of the Big Guys are using it. (Like Digital Domain). The thing to look at is what are You doing with it! I stated before that I use Lightwave in the professional environment. So do places like Digital Domain and and ILM. But they still use MAYA for more complex stuff than Lightwave and 3DS is Capable of. And Correct me if I'm wrong, AGAIN! but Houdini is not Free Either. And no one mentioned that program when they were trying to say that Maya was worthless and Free is Better. You have to weigh the functions and budget of the work your doing before you can decide on what package is best for you. I know all the high end facilities use proprietary stuff, thats why I like Lightwave so much. Its one of the best complete packages out there. YES I SAID THE WORD BEST (or one of the best) I like the rendering engine and the ease of use. Alot of the others you need advanced degrees to make the thing work. Thats why there are rocket scientists and nuclear physicists working on some of the staffs of the high end production places.

And before you bash microsoft, keep in mind that there is a cause and effect for everything. If they didn't do what they did, computers may not be as prevalent today. And your wrist watch could have been the most powerful computer you own. Some narrow minded folks may not like that comment, but look at the time line of when computers took off and when microsoft was developing for them. MAC was even out way back then and they haven't developed as much impact on society as MS has. This impact has opened the door for things like linix to develop. Frankly all my stuff works fine. The only time I have trouble with Windows is when someone with no knowledge of computers messes around or doesn't do proper maintenance. I'm not against UNIX or Linux or what have you... but Until there is enough software support- for the work I do- I'm not taking a gamble with my livelihood. That might not mean anything to a High school student, but just Wait 10-15 years. By then things will be different, but you'll have other issues that you'll have to think about and weigh against your families well being.